By now, most of the architectural world is aware of Chinese architects' penchant for ripping off their favorite works from foreign countries, from the latest Zaha Hadid landmark to entire historical villages. The issue is, admittedly, more complex than many often give it credit for—but even after debating the phenomenon from the perspective of Chinese cultural norms, copyright law, and even whether copycats might actually be good for architecture, China will always have more copycats to puzzle over. Some are baffling, some are in a way impressive, some are even (dare we say it?) even kind of cute. In short, all of them are in some way entertaining. Here are 6 of the strangest.

Françoise Mouly on “The Laureate,” Malika Favre’s cover for this week’s issue that honors Bob Dylan for being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

ParadigmGallery's insight:

Yes I can make a case for Bob Dylan fitting into this topic!, and I just love this cover and want it to adorn my scoop.it presence!

“having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Dylan is the first American to win since Toni Morrison, in 1993, and the first musician of any nationality to win the prize."

In a rare speech, last year, in which he discussed his music and its place in the national story, Dylan said, “Don’t be fooled. I just opened up a different door in a different kind of way…. I didn’t think I was doing anything different. I thought I was just extending the line.”

Kia Utzon-Frank is also making cakes. Amazing, innovative cakes that look like sculptures in marble and gold. Speaking of which, you should know she also makes jewellery… Her Royal College of Art MA was an education in goldsmithing, silversmithing, metalworks and jewellery after all, and her refined, elegant and ultra contemporary pieces have been the mainstay of her increasingly varied portfolio since she graduated in 2012.

Rebuilding and Extension / Can Calau - From a listed farmhouse in a ruinous estate, located in the Natural Park of the Volcanic Zone in the ..

ParadigmGallery's insight:

a truly beautiful coming together of old and new... "From a listed farmhouse in a ruinous estate...It is rebuilt the main building with stone walls taken out from the existent ruin, impregnated with the time footprints." AMM Arquitectes

When the planet is home to the almost 12 billion people that the UN calculates will inhabit the Earth by the year 2100, where will they live? In less than 15 years, the organization estimates that there will be 3 billion people in need of proper housing worldwide. Against this backdrop, any sustainable and economically viable option that allows us to create new housing more quickly and efficiently could form part of the solution. And the young, French architect Timothée Boitouzet has a wood-based proposal that could serve just this purpose.

ParadigmGallery's insight:

We look eagerly to the future as we follow the development of this product.

Humanity always cherishes great works of art that stand the test of time. This June, for example, marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ psychedelic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the 20th anniversary of Radiohead’s dystopian Ok Computer. These psychologically satisfying birthdays have generated serious appreciation and nostalgia. Similarly, we also love to praise the longevity of innovative architecture. The AIA bestows an annual “Twenty-five Year Award” to acknowledge projects that have "stood the test of time” and “exemplify design of enduring significance.” But one project a year seems stingy.

The Shakers are on the verge of extinction following the death of one of its last members. So why is their austere style having yet another revival?

ParadigmGallery's insight:

Is Shaker style your style? Ingenuity and Nostalgia via Dezeen: "While the modernist spirit may involve pushing forward, there is no doubt that, in the present day, many people are pushing back." ..." Shaker designs show the clean lines and absence of adornment"

It’s a design trend that has lasted longer than many others. There are good reasons for that, although designers say some clichés should be banished.

ParadigmGallery's insight:

for me it's love....simplicity, clean lines and lack of ornamentation...MCM furniture is truly loved for various reasons, and is permanent! If you love it too and have not joined the group then check it out! FB MidCenturyModern page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/midcenturymoderndesign/

A proposal for craft workshops at London's V&A museum, an extension to Sir John Soane's Museum and a dystopian graphic novel are among the winning projects in this year's RIBA President's Medals and Research Awards.

The seven student winners were announced at a ceremony at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London this evening. The Part-I and Part-II architectural students were selected from 275 entrants from 87 schools worldwide.

Six of the seven winners are from UK schools, but the recipient of the biggest accolade – the Silver Medal – is a student at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"I'm delighted to see the breadth of talent from across the globe recognised through these awards, now celebrating their 180th anniversary," said RIBA President Jane Duncan.

"The students' ability to distil complex ideas and present them beautifully is outstanding. Tonight’s winners are talent to watch – I can't wait to see what else they will go on to achieve."

Set up in 1836, the RIBA Presidents Medals are the institute's longest-running awards.

The judges of this year's awards included RIBA director of eduction David Gloster, ETH Zürich's dean of architecture Philip Ursprung, Royal College of Art architecture and interiors tutor Harriet Harriss and Bartlett lecturer Peg Rawes.

The seven winning projects will be on show at the RIBA until 5 February 2017.

These mises en scène are rendered in Babina’s signature graphic, retro style and depict the architecture of greats like Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, Oscar Niemeyer, and others as if it were the backdrop for a show.

ParadigmGallery's insight:

“Archiplay” that reimagines the work of 27 famous architects into set designs. These mises en scène are rendered in Babina’s signature graphic, retro style and depict the architecture of greats like Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, Oscar Niemeyer, and others as if it were the backdrop for a show.

Banff’s City Council voted to move forward with the proposal to rebuild Wright’s demolished masterwork. That is, if supporters can raise the funds.

ParadigmGallery's insight:

I am a big fan of FLW....hope this gets support! Follow the link to read, share, and donate!

" After a flood damaged Frank Lloyd Wright’s elegant Banff Park Pavilion in 1939, the building was tragically demolished, a little more than 25 years after it was completed. But the fine Prairie Style structure—one of only two designed by the architect in Canada—was not forgotten."

Revered by musicians for over a century, Steinway's pianos are still made by hand in a humble Queens, New York, factory.

ParadigmGallery's insight:

Grand pianos are works of art and feats of engineering composed of over 12,000 individual parts.... photographer Christopher Payne visited the legendary factory to document its process.

as the owner of a classic, black, upright Steinway I can say they truly are special....

please link to this great piece: "The people who work at Steinway come from all over the world, and the factory is a microcosm of the diversity that makes New York City—and America—great," Payne says. "Some workers are new to the factory, having recently immigrated to the U.S., while others have been there for decades. Together, they share a quiet pride and dignity, and are proof that manual labor and craftsmanship still have value in today’s economy."

Unlike regular greenery, Tillandsia—commonly known as air plants—absorb their nutrients from airborne particles via their leaves, with roots rendered unnecessary. The Swedish design team has now produced an inventive vessel known as LYFE to put the unique plants where they belong: floating above ground in an elegantly designed uprising against gravity.

From midcentury masterpieces to 21st-century triumphs, AD rounds up the most extraordinary examples from our archives

ParadigmGallery's insight:

AD..."When Mies van der Rohe fashioned sheets of glass into the transparent Farnsworth House, just outside of Chicago in 1951, or when Philip Johnson devised his own see-through structure in New Canaan, Connecticut, in 1949, the residences were considered architectural oddities—experiments that were only truly livable on days with perfect weather. Now, however architects and designers have perfected the concept of a glass-walled home, making it a popular option for homeowners with modernist tastes and a desire to be at one with their surroundings." Hannah Martin

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